Immunological Method for Measuring Lupus Anticoagulants - Lab Report Example

The absence of positive antibodies in sample C means that lupus anticoagulants were not present in the blood thus blood clotting could not occur. This means that there is the presence of common pathway clotting factors in at least 30% of activity.

1. Test for 2. Above
Testing for the absence of anticoagulants will result in immediate clotting in a sample of blood using the method of aPTT.
2. Mishandling patient samples
Failure to detect APS could be a result of mishandling of patient samples. In this case, there could be an introduction of protein contaminants of the same nature thus making it difficult to distinguish APS proteins from the other protein contaminants.

3. Other tests include:

The Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT), the Platelet Neutralization Procedure (PNP), and the Kaolin Clotting Time (KCT)
4. Anionic phospholipids
Anionic phospholipids serve as strong cofactors required for the gathering of 3 different coagulation complexes when they get exposed on the apical cell membrane surface. These coagulation complexes are the tissue factor-VIIa complex, the Xa-Va complex, and the IXa-VIIIa complex, which participate in blood coagulation. In this way, they can enhance the activity of phospholipid-dependent coagulation factors.

5. How vitamin K is involved in coagulation.
Vitamin K is an essential contributor to the synthesis of several proteins that participate in blood coagulation and also anticoagulation. It is an essential cofactor for a carboxylase enzyme that catalyzes the carboxylation of glutamic acid residues found on vitamin K-dependent proteins that participate in coagulation. These proteins include prothrombin factors II, VII, IX, and X

Sources of vitamin K include leafy greens, liver, and cauliflower. Vitamin K is also largely synthesized in the large intestines by bacteria. It is important to note that vitamin K is fat-soluble and that obtained from foods as well as that produced by microbes in the large intestines get absorbed into intestinal lymph together with other lipids. Read More